House Democrats are asking the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for documentation about its operations as they prepare to challenge the agency with their newfound oversight powers.
Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.), the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.), who leads the panel’s subcommittee on technology, sent a letter on Monday to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai with extensive requests for documents about the agency’s efforts during the Trump administration.
Frustrated by House Republicans’ unwillingness to challenge the FCC over the past two years, Pallone and Doyle have vowed to hold the agency accountable and confront its leadership over issues like its repeal of the popular 2015 net neutrality rules.
“Under your leadership, the FCC has failed repeatedly to act in the public interest and placed the interest of corporations over consumers,” the two Democrats wrote in their letter to Pai.
“The FCC should be working to advance the goals of public safety, consumer protection, affordable access, and connectivity across the United States,” they continued. “To that end, it is incumbent upon the Committee’s leadership and its members to oversee the activities of the FCC.”
